FlytrapCare Carnivorous Plant Forums

I will experimenting with micropropagation from seeds soon. I think I have the general procedure down, particularly with getting seeds clean. My problem though is that among the seeds I want to propagate, some are pinguicula. These seeds are tiny! The method I was intending to use is based off something I saw on Youtube. They spread pantyhose across a mason jar like a membrane, on which the seeds were placed and the lid installed. Inside the jar was a bleach solution that when inverted began to disinfect the seeds. I am not entirely sure I won't lose track of those seeds in something like that. Is there something else I should consider?

I have a UV-C sterilizer light coming soon and was considering rolling the seeds around on parchment paper while exposing them to it for some time as an alternative method but I am not convinced it'll work to get critters out of the little crevices in the seeds.

You should be able to use a coffee filter. Put the seeds in a bunch in the filter, and pinch it closed. Then use a paperclip or other strong fastener/clip and just sterilize and rinse the entire thing. It will make keeping all of the seeds much easier than most other methods.


Another more tedious, effective method is:
1. THrow all of the seeds into each jar and close it and shake for a few minutes. THen to get them out, spin the jar for about 30 seconds to make a little 'tornado' in the jar and let it settle. they will a be in the middle.
2. Use a pipette to suck out the seeds
3. the seeds should be high in the pipette and you should be able to squirt out some of the excess liquid onto a coffee filter or plate (helps if you accidently squirt out a seed or two)
then put the pipette in the next jar and suck up some liquid and squirt it out a couple times to get all the seeds out.
4. Repeat
Note: Use different pipettes so you don't keep putting the original bleach solution in the rinsing jars.
5. Finally suck up all of the seeds from the last rinsing jar, squirt out as much exces waer as possible, and squirt the seeds onto the media in your jar. Use the pipette to suck out the water on top of the media and when it is all gone (2 or three pipettes-full) close it up and your good to go for the "planting" portion of it.



Oh and I did the second with D. Spatulata seeds which were smaller than grains of sand. They could've been dropped threw a sewing needle.